Mistake
by ASteadfastHeartofGold
Summary: The chameleon never thought he'd be entering such an elaborate palace sort of place before with the very thing he had under his arm, ever; but the Chaotix had a rule to never say no to someone who could pay. It was a rather dark night. Fitting for this kind of mission. A house call. For something Espio's clan did long ago. One-shot; see if you can guess the client and spirit.


A/N: Inspired by something I thought of after watching a show about ghosts. My best friend and I evolved it from there. Hope you enjoy it; but be warned. I wan't in the best mood when I was writing this. At all. So please bear with some mistakes. I mostly just wanted this idea out of my mind.

* * *

The chameleon never thought he'd be entering such an elaborate palace sort of place before with the very thing he had under his arm, ever; but the Chaotix had a rule to never say no to someone who could pay. It was a rather dark night. Fitting for this kind of mission. A house call. For something Espio's clan did long ago.

They asked upfront for this sort of alone house call for the money; Charmy wanted in on it and Vector told him no. Espio wanted to go alone anyway. Something like this smelled of trap yet reeked with reasoning. Something wasn't right. His client was scared of what was haunting his home; and he was hired to help him find out what.

As the Chameleon walked into the palace sort of mansion, his client came and greeted him from the shadows. Rather odd that he was hiding there, but the door was wide open. It was rather late, too. He didn't want any angry intruders.

"I presume you brought the board?" He asked; Espio giving him a nod. The chameleon pulled out the board under his arm and showed it off. A board made of ceremonial wood, covered in the finest silk that was still holding after centuries to come; shining in the light of the moon.

"The Ouija board of my clan — the first Ouija board ever on Mobius. At your command, so long as I am translator."

"Yes, I can see that from the ancient inscriptions. This is a very dangerous line of work, I hope you're prepared. Come. To the center."

Espio followed his tall client, every which way through the red, enlarged place he so bittersweetly called home. It was built directly after a war. No wonder it was being haunted. That had a tendency to occur, but what was his client so concerned about? He could read him like a book. But not completely thus far… Hm. He'd find out through the reading.

"Here we are." Said the client; "Work your magic." He gave a hand motion, and Espio bowed to his client. Setting his board down and bowing to it after. He bellowed in the halls —

"Here me, spirits of the passed! You have been making this your home since it was built over your graves. Not honorable, but the owner wants to make contact! To know if he's caused any harm!"

He spots his client moving at the words. Was there something else? Despite that, he continues on. Not enough intel.

"I am a messenger — from the clan that can speak to your plane of existence At my feet is the board I use to pass your messages on. Use it; not me. And you will be heard."

He sits down; catching yet again that the client seems unsure. And maybe nervous. He wasn't doubting the very skills he payed for, was he? Espio placed his hands on his board; one hand holding it in place; the other? On the very star to read the letters and make note of them. He breathed in deep… And shouted back to the spirits he could sense dwelling within — Strange… one was stronger than the other…. hundred.

"If you are the spirit who keeps making this man's halls cold and sending fears that chill his spine his way? I wish to speak to you."

After mere moments of letting that be known, Espio is taken over. Just a bit. His hands grew cold, as did his body. And his eyes glazed over, but he could still see. He was conscious — frozen. Letting the spirit talk for him. He trained for this — he could handle possession. He could also tell the letters from just the shifts of the star, in case he couldn't move his head down. Strong spirit, this one. It was the one from before; a breeze of a sensation filled the void of numbness in his body for the time being. Felt nice, besides the feeling of stiffness in his neck. Almost suffocating.

"You must ask it questions." Espio explained regardless to have the client shift forward in awe, yet… a nervous look stayed. He cleared his throat.

"Spirit, I have called you hear through my hired friend to ask you some questions I'd like to just go ahead and get to. But if that's too forward for your liking, I could give you an interview and play some game with you to get there."

Espio felt his mouth move a bit against the strong spirit. He moved the star, quickly — N, O, T, S, U, R, E, W, H, A, T, T, O, P, I, C, K.

"The spirit isn't sure." He answered. This made his client shift; he wasn't aware of the feeling of snark he was getting from this spirit. The client thought over what the best course of action would be. He seemed to just want his answer, from the looks of things.

"I'll get to the point then. I've grown tired of games without my only competition.

"Why have you chosen my palace to haunt?"

The letters shifted again, forming another phrase. Long, this time. C, A, U, S, E, O, F, H, O, W, I, D, I, E, D.

"… The reasons for it's death." The very words made sweat appear on his client's forehead, it appeared. He WAS a few distances away. He had shifted in his seat again. He wasn't at ease.

"What do I have to do with your death?"

It takes a bit, Espio gets to move his head back down and he thinks too soon on thinking the spirit might've left him alone. But no; it just loosened his grip on him.

"…It says you have a lot to do with it's death. And it wonders if you're trying to see who it is."

Now it's the client's turn to be quiet. His response is rather blunt.

"Is that so wrong?"

The board moves yet again; reading out another phrase. Espio decides to cut the chase, and just paraphrase for the spirit.

"Not really." He got the feeling that the spirit had just shortened that answer to make it easier on him. And was rather bummed that he couldn't answer it other than that.

"Very well, then. How did you die?"

"Too easy of an answer for you." Espio watched his client, and heard him growl and frown at such words. The spirit would never tell him, he thought.

"Why are you haunting me?"

"I don't have a choice, I died on these lands. I wanted to make my presence known and it turned into a cold breeze. Sorry about that."

The client huffed; responding fast.

"How long has it been since you died."

"A couple of months." Wait a second, Espio realized after he spoke for the spirit…. That was when the battle of Egg Hill ended. With only one death….

_Oh, no. He was speaking for—! _His client seemed to realize, too. Obviously. He was only the most recent of his killings. And regrettably as it seemed, his last. His expression was dire. He wanted to shout his thoughts on who it was, but he resisted. He instead, stammered out two last questions.

"You're the… only death from the War of Egg Hill?"

"Yes. You got it."

"I remember that death… I remember well…."

Espio watches as the Ouija board tried to spell out something — S, O. A pause rather quick; Y, O, U, R, E, P, R, O, U, D, O, F, I, T? Another pause. F, I, G, U, R, E— He's cut off. The client falling out of his chair. Down to his knees in guilt. Red suit with yellow buttons; a mustache everyone used to fear. That is, until he started hiding over the grief and misery both he and the world felt over their loss. The loss they had that day.

"No… y-you are… The wind, th-the fast breezes…!_ S-Sonic…?!_"

The board came to it's standstill. His hands were shaking, however. The spirit hasn't left. It seemed to the chameleon that he wasn't expecting the retired dictator to respond like that. He was expecting a laugh. For him to break the board, trying to rid him out of his home.

But eventually, he did respond.

_**Yeah, Egghead. It's me. **_

"Wh-Why're you here?! In my palace?! Shouldn't you be running and causing this around your friends or your favorite places?!"

_**This doesn't work that way. I died here. **_

Espio noted the lack of mention that Eggman was his killer.. and he gave Sonic his wishes and last words he wanted to say in his mind as he kept reading the messages out.

_**And now I can't leave.**__. __**Looks like you're stuck with me 'till I pass on. Sorry.**_


End file.
